I’m an enormous horror fan, however I take pleasure in horror video games at an arm’s size, as a result of I’m an enormous child who flings my gamepad in terror each time one thing even mildly creepy occurs. Meaning I’ll most likely by no means play Slitterhead as a result of it’ll most likely scare the pants off me and my coronary heart gained’t be capable of take that, however I’ve been studying every little thing I presumably can about it (together with our personal Axel Bosso’s preview) as a result of it seems to be so, so cool.
What I’ve discovered attention-grabbing is that the majority previewers, when writing in regards to the recreation, confer with its setting as “a fictional Asian metropolis”. Some might go on to say that it’s referred to as Kowlong, as a result of that’s all of the element that the sport’s Steam description and web site provide. As somebody who’s lived in Asia my complete life and has travelled extra on this continent than another (it’s cheaper), I’m nearly offended that I haven’t seen anyone discuss in regards to the recreation’s rendition of Hong Kong, or its blatant references to Hong Kong’s most iconic director, Wong Kar-Wai.
I like that Asian administrators are being given their due, as a result of it’s been a very long time coming, and this facet of the world can so typically be ignored when folks speak about auteurs. Bong Joon-Ho must be subsequent on the listing. Then Park Chan-Wook, please and thanks.
Slitterhead Reveals Us An Genuine Hong Kong
You already know what, possibly this one’s on me for hanging out with too many softboy movie bros and nerds. In Singapore, the place I’m from, each self-respecting cinephile has seen Wong’s whole filmography and talks about it always, although a casual ballot in TheGamer’s Slack advised me his cultural affect is considerably extra restricted over within the West. You won’t recognise his title, however possibly you’re accustomed to his greatest identified works, In The Temper For Love and Chungking Categorical.
He’s largely centered on his residence metropolis all through his physique of labor, and his representations of 90s Hong Kong are iconic and unmistakable, which is why I used to be pointing like that DiCaprio meme the entire time I learn Axel’s preview. Bokeh Sport Studio’s founder has instantly acknowledged Wong’s affect on the sport in an interview with IGN, however actually, for those who’ve ever seen certainly one of his movies, you don’t want that context to see what I noticed.
For god’s sake, the setting known as Kowlong. It couldn’t extra clearly be a mixture of Kowloon, the positioning of the Kowloon Walled Metropolis, and Hong Kong. However the recreation goes far deeper. The screenshots I’ve seen from varied press kits make it completely plain clear that we’re a model of Hong Kong. Town feels utterly singular in its structure and the juxtaposition of modernism and historical past – there’s simply one thing about Slitterhead’s dirty alleys and neon-soaked environments that completely evoke Hong Kong. I can virtually hear a waitress cursing me out in Cantonese as a result of I’m taking too lengthy to order.
It helps that the indicators present correct Chinese language characters with Cantonese romanisations, which is a useless giveaway.
Wong Kar-Wai’s Fingerprints Are All Over Slitterhead
Maybe it’s extra correct to say that we’re Wong Kar-Wai’s Hong Kong, as a result of that is how he’s cemented it into the reminiscences of numerous followers: it’s vibrantly colored, bustling, stuffed with life. However that’s not a homage, it’s extra of a basic vibe. Slitterhead isn’t simply displaying you Wong’s Hong Kong, it’s displaying you pictures taken straight out of his films.
For instance, this shot of a personality leaning on a counter is a direct reference to Faye Wong’s character in Chungking Categorical. The positioning of the hand, the haircut, the fan… they’re the identical image.
This one is clearly the enduring shot from Fallen Angels. The colors, the bike, dude’s hair? Please.
A person speaking to a girl leaning towards the wall of an alley? Come on, now, that’s In The Temper For Love.
And these are those I’ve picked up on – there’s actually extra that I didn’t catch or that hasn’t been proven to the general public but. Wong’s affect on Slitterhead is all over the place, and in a manner, that makes it one of the vital trustworthy representations of Hong Kong and its tradition we’ve ever seen in a online game, although it doesn’t name its setting that.
We’ve seen numerous horror video games impressed by David Lynch and different beloved administrators, however I by no means thought we’d see a studio flip its eye to the opposite facet of the globe and provides us a horror recreation impressed by Hong Kong’s best-known filmmaker.
